Toxic Plants

We’ve talked about edible pond plants and versatile pond plants that can be used in both the pond and landscape, but did you know that many common garden and water garden plants are toxic?  Some of these commonly used toxic plants can be harmful to our pets as well as to humans. House plants can also be dangerous. Toxic plants that you may have in your home include elephant ear, philodendrons, English Ivy, Amaryllis and the peace lily.

Remember if they are toxic to us or our pets they will also be toxic to our Koi. Plants that are not toxic to humans may still be a problem for your pond fish. The seeds of most plants will swell in the pond and if your Koi eat the seeds they could plug up the digestive tract. Don’t panic, you don’t have to start ripping plants out of your yard and pond. If you have children or pets you could transplant these plants to an area out of reach. Of course, it is also important to keep an eye on small children and curious pets while they are in your garden.

As for the pond, all you need to do is make sure the toxic plants are out of reach from the Koi. Before you make your wish list of new plants for your garden you may want to consider the list below. These are just a few of the more common toxic garden plants, some of which you will recognize as pond plants. Keep in mind this is just a partial list using common names & the part of the plant that is known to be toxic.

Plant             __              Part                    Plant                ____           Part

Amaryllis                  bulbs                          Black Locust Bark      sprouts, foliage

Bird of Paradise      seeds                          Buttercup                      sap, leaves

Baneberry                berries, roots          Cherry                            bark, twigs, leaves & pits

Calla Lily                  leaves                          Coral plant                   seeds

Daffodil                     bulbs                            Eggplant                        everything but the fruit

English Ivy              berries                        Elephant Ears              leaves, stem

Foxglove                 leaves, seeds             Hemlock                        all parts

Hyacinth                 bulbs                             Iris                                   bulbs

Jasamine                 berries                        Java Bean                      uncooked bean

Lantana                   berries                         Laurel                            all parts

Locoweed               all parts                       Mistletoe                      berries

Mock orange         fruit                               Morning Glories        all parts

Oak                            acorns, foliage          Pine                                sap

Poinsettia               leaves, flowers          Potato                           eyes, new roots

Redwood                sap                                  Rhubarb                       leaves

Snapdragon          all parts                         Tiger lily                       all parts

Tomato                   leaves                            Tulip                               bulbs